human belief, as our old minister used to say--... Humph! I s'pose
likely, Mr. Graves, you'd like to have me say yes or no to the thing
while you're here, hey?"

Graves nodded. "It would be well to do so," he said. "The settlement
of the estate must be taken in hand as soon as possible. The law so
directs."

"Yes, I see that. Well, what would you advise my doin'?"

To this direct question the lawyer returned a noncommittal answer.

"I'm afraid that must be answered by yourself alone, Captain Warren," he
said. "Of course, the acceptance of the trust will necessarily involve
much trouble and inconvenience, especially to one of your--er--settled
and--er--conservative--I judge merely from what you have said--your
conservative habits. The estate is large, the investments are,
doubtless, many and varied, and the labor of looking into and
investigating them may require some technical skill and knowledge of
finance. Yes."

"Um-hm.... Well, I judge that that kind of skill and knowledge could be
hired, if a feller felt like payin' fair wages; hey?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Any good lawyer could attend to that, under the
supervision of the executor, certainly. But there are other
inconveniences to a--a--"

"Country jay like me. I understand. Go ahead."